By Our Reporter
MTN Uganda, through its corporate social responsibility arm, MTN Uganda Foundation, has handed over a newly finished and furnished classroom block to PEAS Samling Nama High school in Mpigi district.
Located in Mawokota North sub county, the school was started by PEAS (Promoting Equality in African Schools), a UK based NGO, to absorb the soaring numbers of learners who had no accessible secondary schools to join upon completing their primary education.
With operations in Uganda and Zambia, PEAS operates with the aim of improving and increasing access to better education services in hard to reach communities. In Uganda alone, PEAS runs 28 schools, serving close to 15,000 learners, 52% of whom are girls.
In order to create more space for the ever-increasing number of primary school leavers, PEAS entered a partnership with MTN Uganda Foundation. The first phase of the partnership saw MTN donate Shs735m for class room construction in 2017, thereby creating 720 additional school places for needy students.
In the second phase, The MTN Uganda Foundation donated 1.3billion shillings to construct and furnish 18 classrooms and 6 schools under PEAS across the country.
Speaking at the classroom block grand opening ceremony, Ms. Enid Edroma, the MTN Uganda General Manager, Corporate Services expressed MTNs commitment to supporting education in Uganda as an ongoing, long term project. “As MTN Foundation, we are aware that a good learning environment improves the learning which in turn improves learning outcomes. We are therefore happy that we are able to provide that for the students in PEAS Samling Nama High school.” She said.
The block whose construction commenced last year in August was eventually completed and fully furnished with classroom furniture by MTN Uganda Foundation.
The guest of honor, Dr. George Mutekanga, the Ministry of Education and Sports’ Commissioner for Private schools commended MTN for supporting government programs through investing in education and schools.
“This venture shows that MTN is a good development partner to the government of Uganda,” Mutekanga said. He urged teachers to develop children both academically and vocationally, with emphasis on agricultural skills in order to groom them into wholesome citizens.
Amelia Kyambadde, the area MP thanked MTN for reaching out to her constituents and pledged to support the telecom.
“All these good things that MTN is doing in the communities is evidence that the company is not here to only make profits. It is here to also positively impact all Ugandans,” Kyambadde said.
Speaking at the same event, Henry Senkasi , the Country Director PEAS Uganda expressed his gratitude to MTN for showing passion and compassion for needy students by providing them with state-of-the-art infrastructure.
He noted that the 18 fully furnished classrooms donated by MTN will create 1200 new spaces annually for students who would have otherwise missed out on education due to lack of space.
Mr Emmanuel Muwanvu the Head teacher, PEAS Samling Nama High school voiced his gratitude to MTN Uganda Foundation for supporting our cause of providing quality education to the less privileged students. A good learning facility definitely leads to better performance.
The MTN Uganda Foundation has invested more than 6 billion shillings in education alone since
its inception in 2007.